Man wanted for murder arrested following exchange of gunfire with Ghaziabad police; four others held

Four others, including the daughter-in-law, were arrested Sunday for the murder of Jaswant Sharma, 65, they added. The accused have been identified as Kavita, Irshad, Naushad, and Sajid, according to the police. Irshad, Naushad, and Sajid were arrested from Koyal Enclave. Parvez was arrested on Monday.

“Parvez was spotted on a black Splendor plus motorcycle near Banthla canal cut, Loni Road early Monday and when he was intercepted at a police checkpoint. He eventually opened fire while trying to evade arrest. In our investigation, we found that Parvez had absconded after the incident in Tila Mod on the motorcycle which is registered in the deceased son’s name,” said Abhijith R Shankar, Assistant Superintendent of Police/CO Sahibabad.

As the team of the Ghaziabad police fired back in self-defence, Parvez was shot in his leg in the cross-fire and was immediately provided medical treatment, said officials.

Kavita was married to Jaswant Sharma’s eldest son, who died two years ago, and they lived in the same house in Pasauda, along with his other son Pankaj Sharma and his family, they added. “Our investigation has revealed that the eldest daughter-in-law of the deceased, Kavita, had planned the whole thing along with Irshad who she had become close to,” said Gyanendra Kumar Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police (City-2).

An FIR had been registered by Sharma’s son Pankaj Sharma stating that some unidentified men had forced entry into their house in Pasauda, tied up his father to the bed and beaten him severely, following which he succumbed to his injuries. The accused Kavita, who was in the house, claimed that men had also stolen some jewellery and cash and then fled.

According to the Ghaziabad police, there were no signs of forced entry into the house.

On further investigation, Kavita admitted to planning her father-in-law’s death along with Parvez and Irshad, as she was upset with his changed behaviour towards her following her husband’s death two years ago, said the police. Kavita became acquainted with Parvez, who had introduced her to Irshad, they added. Irshad and Kavita had met on several occasions and her father-in-law had objected to this. She also claimed that the deceased did not provide for her and did not give her a share in the family property, police said.

The investigation revealed that on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, Parvez, Irshad, Naushad, and Sajid reached the deceased’s house where Kavita let them in. When her father-in-law tried to raise an alarm, they tied him to a bed and killed him after beating him severely and proceeded to rob the house, according to the police.

The Ghaziabad police have recovered a mangalsutra, bangles, earrings, two gold coins, Rs. 5,600 in cash, three mobile phones, and an Apache motorcycle from Irshad, Sajid and Naushad. They have also recovered an illegal 315 bore pistol, two live cartridges, along with a black Splendor plus motorcycle and some jewellery from Parvez.

Sections 457 (lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night in order to commit an offence punishable with imprisonment), 396 (dacoity with murder), 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) and 412 (Dishonestly receiving property stolen in the commission of a dacoity) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have been added to the FIR.

The FIR was already registered under sections 394 (voluntary causing hurt in committing robbery) and 302 (punishment for murder), said officials. They added that further investigation into the criminal history of the accused is underway.